Human Rights panel pulls up Haryana over death of sewer cleaners

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognisance of a complaint based on a media report that two labourers died and another was in a serious condition due to asphyxia while cleaning a sewer line of a factory and in Bahalgarh in Haryana.

The NHRC has observed that the contents of press report, if true, raise a serious issue of human rights violation.

Notices have been issued to the Chief Secretary, Haryana and District Magistrate, Sonipat calling for a report in the matter within four weeks.
The incident took place on March 25, 2013, when Rajender and Sanjay got down inside the sewer line to clean it up. On getting no response from them for some time, another labourer, Naveen, went down. When they did not return, an alarm was raised and they were somehow pulled out but by that time Rajender and Sanjay were already dead. Naveen was admitted to a hospital.

The NHRC has expressed concern as to how in an era of technological advancement, these labourers were not provided proper protective gears while cleaning the sewer. It has also said that factories and manufacturing ventures in the corporate sector should make profits but not at the cost of human rights.
The corporates, as part of their social responsibility, should take up steps to ensure that such avoidable mishaps are prevented. The state also has a huge responsibility in this regard," said a press release issued by the NHRC.